first visit to new england-第8章

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autographs　and　the　pencilled　notes　of　the　men　whose　names　were　dear　to　me
from　my　love　of　their　work。　　Everywhere　was　some　souvenir　of　the　living
celebrities　my　hosts　had　met；　and　whom　had　they　not　met　in　that　English
sojourn　in　days　before　England　embittered　herself　to　us　during　our　civil
war？　　Not　Tennyson　only；　but　Thackeray；　but　Dickens；　but　Charles　Reade；
but　Carlyle；　but　many　a　minor　fame　was　in　my　ears　from　converse　so　recent
with　them　that　it　was　as　if　I　heard　their　voices　in　their　echoed　words。

I　do　not　remember　how　long　I　stayed；　I　remember　I　was　afraid　of　staying
too　long；　and　so　I　am　sure　I　did　not　stay　as　long　as　I　should　have　liked。
But　I　have　not　the　least　notion　how　I　got　away；　and　I　am　not　certain
where　I　spent　the　rest　of　a　day　that　began　in　the　clouds；　but　had　to　be
ended　on　the　common　earth。　　I　suppose　I　gave　it　mostly　to　wandering　about
the　city；　and　partly　to　recording　my　impressions　of　it　for　that　newspaper
which　never　published　them。　　The　summer　weather　in　Boston；　with　its　sunny
heat　struck　through　and　through　with　the　coolness　of　the　sea；　and　its
clear　air　untainted　with　a　breath　of　smoke；　I　have　always　loved；　but　it
had　then　a　zest　unknown　before；　and　I　should　have　thought　it　enough
simply　to　be　alive　in　it。　　But　everywhere　I　came　upon　something　that　fed
my　famine　for　the　old；　the　quaint；　the　picturesque；　and　however　the　day
passed　it　was　a　banquet；　a　festival。　　I　can　only　recall　my　breathless
first　sight　of　the　Public　Library　and　of　the　Athenaeum　Gallery：　great
sights　then；　which　the　Vatican　and　the　Pitti　hardly　afterwards　eclipsed
for　mere　emotion。　　In　fact　I　did　not　see　these　elder　treasuries　of
literature　and　art　between　breakfasting　with　the　Autocrat's　publisher　in
the　morning；　and　taking　tea　with　the　Autocrat　himself　in　the　evening；　and
that　made　a　whole　world's　difference。




XII。

The　tea　of　that　simpler　time　is　wholly　inconceivable　to　this　generation；
which　knows　the　thing　only　as　a　mild　form　of　afternoon　reception；　but　I
suppose　that　in　1860　very　few　dined　late　in　our　whole　pastoral　republic。
Tea　was　the　meal　people　asked　people　to　when　they　wished　to　sit　at　long
leisure　and　large　ease；　it　came　at　the　end　of　the　day；　at　six　o'clock；　or
seven；　and　one　went　to　it　in　morning　dress。　　It　had　an　unceremonied
domesticity　in　the　abundance　of　its　light　dishes；　and　I　fancy　these　did
not　vary　much　from　East　to　West；　except　that　we　had　a　Southern　touch　in
our　fried　chicken　and　corn　bread；　but　at　the　Autocrat's　tea　table　the
cheering　cup　had　a　flavor　unknown　to　me　before　that　day。　　He　asked　me　if
I　knew　it；　and　I　said　it　was　English　breakfast　tea；　for　I　had　drunk　it　at
the　publisher's　in　the　morning；　and　was　willing　not　to　seem　strange　to
it。　　〃Ah；　yes；〃　he　said；　〃but　this　is　the　flower　of　the　souchong；　it　is
the　blossom；　the　poetry　of　tea；〃　and　then　he　told　me　how　it　had　been
given　him　by　a　friend；　a　merchant　in　the　China　trade；　which　used　to
flourish　in　Boston；　and　was　the　poetry　of　commerce；　as　this　delicate
beverage　was　of　tea。　　That　commerce　is　long　past；　and　I　fancy　that　the
plant　ceased　to　bloom　when　the　traffic　fell　into　decay。

The　Autocrat's　windows　had　the　same　outlook　upon　the　Charles　as　the
publisher's；　and　after　tea　we　went　up　into　a　back　parlor　of　the　same
orientation；　and　saw　the　sunset　die　over　the　water；　and　the　westering
flats　and　hills。　　Nowhere　else　in　the　world　has　the　day　a　lovelier　close；
and　our　talk　took　something　of　the　mystic　coloring　that　the　heavens　gave
those　mantling　expanses。　　It　was　chiefly　his　talk；　but　I　have　always
found　the　best　talkers　are　willing　that　you　should　talk　if　you　like；　and
a　quick　sympathy　and　a　subtle　sense　met　all　that　I　had　to　say　from　him
and　from　the　unbroken　circle　of　kindred　intelligences　about　him。　　I　saw
him　then　in　the　midst　of　his　family；　and　perhaps　never　afterwards　to
better　advantage；　or　in　a　finer　mood。　　We　spoke　of　the　things　that　people
perhaps　once　liked　to　deal　with　more　than　they　do　now；　of　the　intimations
of　immortality；　of　the　experiences　of　morbid　youth；　and　of　all　those
messages　from　the　tremulous　nerves　which　we　take　for　prophecies。　　I　was
not　ashamed；　before　his　tolerant　wisdom；　to　acknowledge　the　effects　that
had　lingered　so　long　with　me　in　fancy　and　even　in　conduct；　from　a　time　of
broken　health　and　troubled　spirit；　and　I　remember　the　exquisite　tact　in
him　which　recognized　them　as　things　common　to　all；　however　peculiar　in
each；　which　left　them　mine　for　whatever　obscure　vanity　I　might　have　in
them；　and　yet　gave　me　the　companionship　of　the　whole　race　in　their
experience。　　We　spoke　of　forebodings　and　presentiments；　we　approached　the
mystic　confines　of　the　world　from　which　no　traveller　has　yet　returned
with　a　passport　'en　regle'　and　properly　'vise'；　and　he　held　his　light
course　through　these　filmy　impalpabilities　with　a　charming　sincerity；
with　the　scientific　conscience　that　refuses　either　to　deny　the　substance
of　things　unseen；　or　to　affirm　it。　　In　the　gathering　dusk；　so　weird　did
my　fortune　of　being　there　and　listening　to　him　seem；　that　I　might　well
have　been　a　blessed　ghost；　for　all　the　reality　I　felt　in　myself。

I　tried　to　tell　him　how　much　I　had　read　him　from　my　boyhood；　and　with
what　joy　and　gain；　and　he　was　patient　of　these　futilities；　and　I　have　no
doubt　imagined　the　love　that　inspired　them；　and　accepted　that　instead　of
the　poor　praise。　　When　the　sunset　passed；　and　the　lamps　were　lighted；　and
we　all　came　back　to　our　dear　little　firm…set　earth；　he　began　to　question
me　about　my　native　region　of　it。　　From　many　forgotten　inquiries　I　recall
his　asking　me　what　was　the　fashionable　religion　in　Columbus；　or　the
Church　that　socially　corresponded　to　the　Unitarian　Church　in　Boston。
He　had　first　to　clarify　my　intelligence　as　to…what　Unitarianism　was；　we
had　Universalists　but　not　Unitarians；　but　when　I　understood；　I　answered
from　such　vantage　as　my　own　wholly　outside　Swedenborgianism　gave　me；　that
I　thought　most　of　the　most　respectable　people　with　us　were　of　the
Presbyterian　Church；　some　were　certainly　Episcopalians；　but　upon　the
whole　the　largest　number　were　Presbyterians。　　He　found　that　very　strange
indeed；　and　said　that　he　did　not　believe　there　was　a　Presbyterian　Church
in　Boston；　that　the　New　England　Calvinists　were　all　of　the　Orthodox
Church。　　He　had　to　explain　Oxthodoxy　to　me；　and　then　I　could　confess　to
one　Congregational　Church　in　Columbus。

Probably　I　failed　to　give　the　Autocrat　any　very　clear　image　of　our　social
frame　in　the　West；　but　the　fault　was　altogether　mine；　if　I　did。　　Such
lecturing　tours　as　he　had　made　had　not　taken　him　among　us；　as　those　of
Emerson　and　other　New…Englanders　had；　and　my　report　was　positive　rather
than　comparative。　　I　was　full　of　pride　in　journalism　at　that　day；　and　I
dare　say　that　I　vaunted　the　brilliancy　and　power　of　our　newspapers　more
than　they　merited；　I　should　not　have　been　likely　to　wrong　them　otherwise。
It　is　strange　that　in　all　the　talk　I　had　with　him　and　Lowell；　or　rather
heard　from　them；　I　can　recall　nothing　said　of　political　affairs；　though
Lincoln　had　then　been　nominated　by　the　Republicans；　and　the　Civil　War　had
practically　begun。　　But　we　did　not　imagine　such　a　thing　in　the　North；　we
rested　secure　in　the　belief　that　if　Lincoln　were　elected　the　South　would
eat　all　its　fiery　words；　perhaps　from　the　mere　love　and　inveterate　habit
of　fireeating。

I　rent　myself　away　from　the　Autocrat's　presence　as　early　as　I　could；
and　as　my　evening　had　been　too　full　of　happiness　to　sleep　upon　at　once；
I　spent　the　rest　of　the　night　till　two　in　the　morning　wandering　about　the
streets　and　in　the　Common　with　a　Harvard　Senior　whom　I　had　met。　　He　was　a
youth　of　like　literary　passions　with　myself；　but　of　such　different
traditions　in　every　possible　way　that　his　deeply　schooled　and　definitely
regulated　life　seemed　as　anomalous　to　me　as　my　own　desultory　and
self…found　way　must　have　seemed　to　him。　　We　passed　the　time　in　the
delight　of　trying　to　make　ourselves　known　to　each　other；　and　in　a　promise
to　continue　by　letter　the　effort；　which　duly　lapsed　into　silent　patience
with　the　necessarily　insoluble　problem。




XIII。

I　must　have　lingered　in　Boston　for　the　introduction　to　Hawthorne　which
Lowell　had　offered　me；　for　when　it　came；　with　a　little　note　of　kindness
and　counsel　for　myself　such　as　only　Lowell　had　the　gift　of　writing；
it　was　already　so　near　Sunday　that　I　stayed　over　till　Monday　before　I
started。　　I　do　not　recall　what　I　did　with　the　time；　except　keep　myself
from　making　it　a　burden　to　the　people　I　knew；　and　wandering　about　the
city　alone。　　Nothing　of　it　remains　to　me　except　the　fortune　that　favored
me　that　Sunday　night　with　a　view　of　the　old　Granary　Burying…ground　on
Tremont　Street。　　I　found　the　gates　open；　and　I　explored　every　path　in　the
place；　wreaking　myself　in　such　meagre　emotion　as　I　could　get　from　the
tomb　of　the　Franklin　family；　and　rejoicing　with　the　whole　soul　of　my
Western　modernity　in　the　evidence　of　a　remote　antiquity　which　so　many　of
the　dim　inscriptions　afforded。　　I　do　not　think　that　I　have　ever　known
anything　practically　older　than　these　monuments；　though　I　have　since
supped　so　full　of　classic　and　mediaeval　ruin。　　I　am　sure　that　I　was　more
deeply　touched　by　the　epitaph　of　a　poor　little　Puritan　maiden　who　died　at
sixteen　in　the　early　sixteen…thirties　than　afterwards　by　the　tomb　of
Caecilia　Metella；　and　that　the　heartache　which　I　tried　to　put　into　verse
when　I　got　back　to　my　room　in　the　hotel　was　none　the　less　genuine　because
it　would　not　lend　itself　to　my　literary　purpose；　and　remains　nothing　but
pathos　to　this　day。

I　am　not　able　to　say　how　I　reached　the　town　of　Lowell；　where　I　went
before　going　to　Concord；　that　I　might　ease　the　unhappy　conscience　I　had
about　those　factories　which　I　hated　so　much　to　see；　and　have　it　clean　for
the　pleasure　of　meeting　the　fabricator　of　visions　whom　I　was　authorized
to　molest　in　any　air…castle　where　I　might　find　him。　　I　only　know　that　I
went　to　Lowell；　and　visited　one　of　the　great　mills；　which　with　their
whirring　spools；　the　ceaseless　flight　of　their　shuttles；　and　the
bewildering　sight　and　sound　of　all　their　mechanism　have　since　seemed　to
me　the　death　of　the　joy　that　ought　to　come　from　work；　if　not　the
captivity　of　those　who　tended　them。　　But　then　I　thought　it　right　and　well
for　me　to　be　standing　by；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃With　sick　and　scornful　looks　averse；〃

while　these　others　toiled；　I　did　not　see　the　tragedy　in　it；　and　I　got　my
pitiful　literary　antipathy　away　as　soon　as　I　could；　no　wiser　for　the
sight　of　the　ingenious　contrivances　I　inspected；　and　I　am　sorry　to　say　no
sadder。　　In　the　cool　of　the　evening　I　sat　at　the　door　of　my　hotel；　and
watched　the　long　files　of　the　work…worn　factory…girls　stream　by；　with　no
concern　for　them　but　to　see　which　was　pretty　and　which　was　plain；　and
with　no　dream　of　a　truer　order　than　that　which　gave　them　ten　hours'　work
a　day　in　those　hideous　mills　and　lodged　them　in　the　barracks　where　they
rested　from　their　toil。

I　wonder　if　there　is　a　stage　that　still　runs　between　Lowell　and　Concord；
past　meadow　walls；　and　under　the　caressing　boughs　of　way…side　elms；　and
through　the　bird…haunted　gloom　of　woodland　roads；　in　the　freshness　of　the
summer　morning？　　By　a　blessed　chance　I　found　that　ther